Unfortunately, Pete's words eventually came true.
The new baseball coach was found hanged in the baseball club room.
Although the school tried its best to cover up the incident, it eventually spread.
Pete and Chloe were clearly interested in such gossip, especially Chloe, who immediately published the incident in The Torch, eventually even incurring the principal's wrath.
The principal claimed that if Chloe continued to report like this, he would not hesitate to shut down The Torch.
Eric was unaware of what was happening at the school; for some time now, he had been trying to track down Jor-El's information, but with no progress.
It seemed that after he took Kara away, he never showed up again.
About 36 miles from Kent Farm, Eric entered the cave where Clark had once sleepwalked into.
Stepping on the dirt in the cave, Eric walked forward without any light source.
The cave walls were adorned with various Kryptonian texts and intricate, indescribable murals.
Thump!
His feet landed on slightly firmer ground, and Eric looked at the wall at the deepest part of the cave.
In the center of the complex pattern of Kryptonian text and images, there was an octagonal mark.
After observing the patterns and text for a few minutes, Eric placed the octagonal metal object in his hand onto the missing mark.
The next second, the entire cave emitted a golden light, instantly enveloping him.
Eric, enveloped in the golden light, showed no signs of fear or shock.
Because he could feel that this light beam could not harm him.
At the same time, a crack appeared on the cave wall; within the light-filled crack, light constantly flowed, as if something was continuously leaping within it, and Eric could even vaguely see a figure made of light on it.
"Eric Kent?"
"Who are you? Jor-El?"
Eric gazed at the figure in the light.
"I am. You are Eric Kent, the one who defeated Kara? I thought I had overestimated you, but I have to admit, once certain things exceed expectations, it means the initial thinking was wrong and lacked consideration. I misjudged you."
The ethereal figure, seemingly Superman's father, spoke in a deep, slow voice.
"Kara?"
Eric let out a cold snort, "I wouldn't think the true 'Supergirl' would be so vulnerable. This isn't the real Kara, is it?"
"Whether it's real or fake doesn't matter. What matters is that I gave her the name Kara, and she can use Kara's abilities."
The figure made of light said to Eric, "You and Kryptonians are so similar, even your way of thinking is so alike. Weakness and arrogance, the people of Earth follow this pattern; the end of civilization is destruction, they are even more arrogant than Krypton. Not following the patterns and rules of Earthlings, becoming indifferent and powerful, ruling them, might not be a bad way to protect them. Your mind emits such an aura; I can feel it."
"That sounds like a very seductive statement, but I'm sorry, it's useless to me. What I care about most isn't me, but you!"
Eric said coldly, "If you try to intervene in my and Clark's lives, then I will list you as an enemy, and it must be the kind where both body and soul are directly eliminated."
"That was never Clark's life. Eric Kent, I've changed my mind now. You are Clark's brother; at times, I will treat you as Clark's substitute. Now you—"
The illusory figure's tone suddenly changed slightly, "You can also become my son, Kryptonian's Son, exercising those supreme rights that belong to you."
"I always thought you were a schemer, but now I've changed my mind. You are not only an ambitious schemer, but also a guy with a problem in his head."
Eric sneered, thinking this guy was simply crazy.
To actually think he would willingly be someone else's son.
Sorry, he didn't have such a habit.
He took a step, preparing to leave the area of light and shadow surrounding him.
But Jor-El seemed unwilling to let Eric leave; a bright light formed a rope, binding his hands, forcing him to stay.
"Krypton has been destroyed. I am both Jor-El and not Jor-El. The source of power is uncontrollable, even when we are conscious."
Eric was bound by the light rope created by the other party and instantly felt a surge of immense power rushing through his body, as if all the power he had was instantly confined.
A feeling of weakness lingered in his body, and the rope made of light beams continuously drained his power.
"Is this all there is?"
Eric felt the loss of power within his body, and his eyes emitted red laser energy beams.
The laser beams, possessing immense energy, instantly rushed into the wall covered by light and shadow.
The area belonging to Jor-El on one side of the wall was in a different world from the real world.
So Heat Vision could not effectively hit the opponent.
He tried to break free from the control of the rope, but no matter what, he couldn't easily undo it.
During the struggle, Eric felt his body changing even more.
A burning sensation filled his entire body, and his skin and bones experienced bone-deep, uncontrollable pain.
"Ugh!"
Enduring the unresolvable pain filling his body, Eric continued to emit Heat Vision from his eyes to fight against the untouchable enemy.
"Your body is astonishing. A Man of Steel that only appears under yellow sun radiation, the ability to fly due to Earth's low gravity, Heat Vision that can only be awakened under a yellow sun—your cellular structure is so similar to a Kryptonian's, so incredible. I even suspect that you are another evolutionary direction for Kryptonians!"
While controlling Eric, Jor-El exclaimed.
"I can modify your body to make it more like a Kryptonian's, but this will also come at a considerable cost. To gain something, you will lose something in return; this is an unchangeable truth."
"You—you're celebrating too early!"
Eric stretched his right hand forward.
The next second, the Staff flew directly from the cave entrance, shimmering with golden light, illuminating the entire cave even brighter.
Bang!
The Staff flew directly into Eric's hand, where he gripped it tightly.
He held the Cosmic Staff, fighting against his modified body.
A shimmering light continuously flowed from within the Cosmic Staff into Eric's body.
Two cosmic-level energies competed within his body.
At the same time, the Homelander Template within Eric, which had remained stagnant for several days, finally began to continuously increase in progress.
From 85% progress, it rose all the way to 88%, 90%, 92%, and finally reached 95%.
It seemed that the Homelander Template within his body also sensed the host's crisis and directly increased the template unsealing progress to 95%.
He instantly felt a powerful force filling his entire body.
Eric, with 95% progress of the template's power, finally had the capital to counterattack.
Enduring the pain in his body, he raised the Staff and aimed it at the figure on the wall.
Boom!
A powerful energy beam carrying immense destructive power emanated from the tip of the Cosmic Staff, instantly striking Jor-El's figure.
The energy beam from the Cosmic Staff seemed to hit Jor-El's shadow.
The shadow composed of shimmering light instantly disappeared.
All the light beams on the wall receded, and the ropes that had controlled him also vanished.
Phew!
As his feet landed on the ground, a feeling of exhaustion washed over him.
Eric leaned on the Staff, gasping for breath, trying not to collapse.
The cave, which had previously emitted dazzling light, instantly became dark and gloomy.
Clenching his fist, feeling the changes in his body, Eric tried to steady his breathing.
With the Homelander Template progress unsealed to 95%, the Kryptonian characteristics within his body became increasingly apparent.
His strength had made rapid progress, but in comparison, his physical characteristics became increasingly similar to those of a Kryptonian.
If it hadn't been for the system's sudden display of power this time, Jor-El's conspiracy might have truly succeeded.
Eric held the Staff with a solemn expression, activated his Super Speed, and moved to the cave entrance at a speed faster than before.
He closed his eyes and felt the surging power within him for a while, then opened his eyes, and a Heat Vision beam, countless times more powerful than before, blasted the top of the cave.
With a crash, rocks and earth instantly collapsed, burying the cave.
Eric bent his knees, leaped upward, and with a loud boom, instantly vanished into the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several beams of light descended near the outskirts of Metropolis.
"Did you feel it? I felt a power, an aura similar to Clark and Eric, rising—an undeniable power!"
Among the trio, a woman over six feet tall, with impressive long legs, exquisite features like a Greek goddess sculpture, and draped in a black robe, frowned and said to the other two.
"Our current mission isn't to investigate these strange auras, Diana."
A young man with brown hair and pupils, a few curly strands scattered across his forehead, and slightly disheveled hair, shrugged his shoulders and complained to the woman named Diana.
The other person in the trio, a girl whose appearance was almost identical to the Kara Eric had seen, adjusted her baseball cap, "I thought Justice League members would have a somewhat casual and laid-back vibe when on missions, like making a good-natured joke or diverting the topic at the right time. In short, not so serious, but it seems you two are a bit different. Diana, and Green Lantern."
The girl gave Diana and Green Lantern a cunning smile.
Green Lantern was about to retort when he suddenly noticed that the building in front of them seemed off.
"By the way, didn't Batman teleport us near the Justice League Hall from a decade ago? Why does the building in front of us look a bit off?"
Green Lantern pointed to the Justice Society Headquarters, which Eric had just acquired, and said in surprise.
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